Figuring out how to schedule our time can be an on-going reality for the average home business owner. While I am definitely an advocate of trying to come up with reasonable and somewhat predictable business hours, I also understand how sticking to a set schedule and doing business “by the clock” just may not work for a home business operation.
I have written before about how I do think that time management is a key concern for the home business owner. After all, what is the point of working 13-hour days that net us $20 in income? Of course, in the beginning stages of a business we can expect to work long hours for little immediate pay, but as we build our businesses, we do need to think of when is the best time to be working, how can me make it most efficient, and how are we balancing our work time and our family time?
Time management and the home business may mean that you do not work 8 or 9 hours straight, and you may not be working from 9 am until 5 pm. While it will not be in your best health interest to work around the clock, you may find that working 3 hours after the kids go to bed gives you intense, uninterrupted time and you can be incredibly efficient. As a matter of fact, in the kind of work that I do, it all comes down to efficiency—how best can I maximize the time I spend at the keyboard? If this means writing a little bit all day (and sometimes it does) then that is what I do. If there are other things that have to be done, then I have to get as much done in 2 or 3 or 4 hours as I possibly can. Often this means working at off hours and fitting in my work around other things. Even without strict adherence to a clock, keep track of your work time and hours and compare it with your income to make sure that you are making the best use of the time you DO have to spend on your business.